Best Music Movies of 1969

A Michigan farmer and a prospector form a partnership in the California gold country. Their adventures include buying and sharing a wife, hijacking a stage, kidnapping six prostitutes, and turning their mining camp into a boom town. Along the way there is plenty of drinking, gambling, and singing. They even find time to do some creative gold mining.

An enchanting variety special which reunites Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore in song and dance. Numbers include "On The Other Hand", "Life Is Like A Situation Comedy", "Food Medley", "Do You Love Me?". Moore's participation in this special led directly to her being offered her own series by the network . This was the beloved "The Mary Tyler Moore Show".

Taxi dancer, Charity continues to have faith in the human race despite apparently endless disappointments at its hands, and hope that she will finally meet the nice young man to romance her away from her sleazy life.

Johnny Cash at San Quentin was recorded live at San Quentin State Prison on February 24, 1969 and released as an album onJune 16 of that same year. The concert was filmed by Granada Television. Songs performed include Wreck of the Old 97 , I Walk the Line, San Quentin and A Boy Named Sue.

Featuring Don Costa and his Orchestra, this final installment of Frank Sinatra's annual televised specials showcases highlights from his storied career and an early rendition of "My Way," which would go on to become Sinatra's signature song.

Satire about the First World War based on a stage musical of the same name, portraying the "Game of War" and focusing mainly on the members of one family (last name Smith) who go off to war. Much of the action in the movie revolves around the words of the marching songs of the soldiers, and many scenes portray some of the more famous (and infamous) incidents of the war, including the assassination of Duke Ferdinand, the Christmas meeting between British and German soldiers in no-mans-land, and the wiping out by their own side of a force of Irish soldiers newly arrived at the front, after successfully capturing a ridge that had been contested for some time.

Academy Award-honoree Peter O'Toole stars in this musical classic about a prim English schoolmaster who learns to show his compassion through the help of an outgoing showgirl. O'Toole, who received his fourth Oscar-nomination for this performance, is joined by '60s pop star Petula Clark and fellow Oscar-nominee Michael Redgrave.

"On Broadway" featured Carol Channing and Pearl Bailey, both red hot after their respective runs in the smash hit "Hello, Dolly!" on Broadway. The special was filmed on the stage of the Wintergarden Theater in New York and originally aired on ABC in 1969. Together the theatrical legends playfully perform some of their most popular hits, including 'A Little Girl from Little Rock,' 'Little Green Apples,' 'If My Friends Could See Me Now,' and 'Won't You Come Home, Bill Bailey.' Next, they perform an assortment of familiar showtunes including hits from "Guys and Dolls," "The Music Man," "Hello, Dolly!," and "Fiddler on the Roof." "On Broadway" is an entertaining step back in time.

After getting kicked out of college, Arlo decides to visit his friend Alice for Thanksgiving dinner. After dinner is over, Arlo volunteers to take the trash to the dump, but finds it closed for the holiday, so he just dumps the trash in the bottom of a ravine. This act of littering gets him arrested, and sends him on a bizarre journey that ends with him in front of the draft board.

In this classic 1969 documentary, the Man in Black is captured at his peak, the first of many in a looming roller-coaster career. Fresh on the heels of his Folsom Prison album, Cash reveals the dark intensity and raw talent that made him a country music star and cultural icon. Director Robert Elfstrom got closer than any other filmmaker to Cash, who is seen performing with his new bride June Carter Cash, in a rare duet with Bob Dylan, and behind the scenes with friends, family and aspiring young musicians.

This short film by Les Blank with Skip Gerson features the charismatic legendary blues icon Lightnin' Hopkins sing a beautiful song about a stuttering boy who learns that he can communicate through singing. Also features Billy Bizor on harmonica.

Dr. John Carpenter takes the job of running a health center in a low-income district. He enlists three women to help out who — unbeknownst to him — are actually nuns in street clothes. The church wants to improve the neighborhood but fears that nuns in full habit would not be well received. Unaware of her unavailability, John falls for Sister Michelle, serenading her with his guitar — which, luckily for him, effectively wears away at her religious resolve.

The Beatles, along with guest keyboardist Billy Preston, gave their last live performance on January 30th, 1969, on the roof of the Apple building, at 3 Savile Row. It would become the climax of their documentary film “Let It Be” (1970). The show was recorded onto two eight-track machines in the basement of Apple, by producer George Martin, engineer Glyn Johns and sound recordist Alan Parsons.

Albie Thoms' Marinetti was the culmination of the synthetic environments that the UBU group had pioneered in Australia; festive public 'happenings' that combined the energy and volume of creative rock and jazz with the mesmeric effect of multi-dimensional lightshows. Another kind of culmination: Marinetti records most of the principal collaborators in the UBU film group, like Aggy Read and the Perrys. Uniquely valuable as a document of Australia's late 1960s counter-culture, the soundtrack provides the best indication of the unrestrained liberty that bands like Tully and the John Sangster Underground band some of whose members perform on this recording were famously achieving in their improvisations of the period.

A lyrical recreation of Lightnin’ Hopkins’ decision at age eight to stop chopping cotton and start singing for a living.

This animated short is a play on motion set against a background of multi-hued sky. Spheres of translucent pearl float weightlessly in the unlimited panorama of the sky, grouping, regrouping or colliding like the stylized burst of some atomic chain reaction. The dance is set to the musical cadences of Bach, played by pianist Glenn Gould.

The legendary 1969 Rolling Stones concert from Hyde Park, their first following the death of founding member Brian Jones.

Chautauqua manager Walter Hale and his loyal business manager struggle to keep their traveling troupe together in small town America.

Adapted from the book by Charles Tazewell. Michael, a shepherd boy living in Biblical times, finds himself transported to Heaven on his eighth birthday. Michael doesn't fully understand where he is, or why he's there. A guardian angel named Patience is given the task of showing Michael the joys of Heaven and helping him find his place in the Hereafter.

Given the chance to live in a simulated underwater home for a month, a scientist convinces his family to take advantage of the offer. Once the family agrees to move in, underwater mayhem occurs!

The Bonzo Dog Band drive into the country in a truck, unload their equipment in some woods only to find some of it taken away by some children. They eat and play at a party, and the Bonzos play a number of instrumentals in a stable yard, including 'Rockaliser Baby', 'We are Normal' and 'Quiet Walks and Summer Talks'. At the end they are driven away in a white car. Note: No words are sung. Featured alongside the Bonzo Dog Band are the children Amanda, Jennifer and Ashley Lees, Edward Roebuck, and Olivia Smith. (BFI)

G.I.T. on Broadway was a 1969 television special produced by Motown Productions and George Schlatter-Ed Friendly Productions. The special, a follow-up to 1968's successful TCB program, was a musical revue starring Motown's two most popular groups at the time, Diana Ross & the Supremes and The Temptations. Containing primarily Broadway showtunes, the special was taped before a live studio audience in mid-1969 and originally broadcast November 12, 1969 on NBC. Like TCB, the title of the program was derived from an acronym, this one standing for "Gettin' It Together". A soundtrack album for the special, titled On Broadway, was issued the same month the program aired. Though there were no singles released from this album in the states, "The Rhythm of Life" did become a Top 20 hit for the ensemble in Australia. Two months after its release, Diana Ross left The Supremes to start a solo career.

CBS Television with Warwick's guests Burt Bacharach, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Glen Campbell

Ann-Margret starts her journey to Hollywood from the countryside, traversing the Freeway until she gets to Hollywood.

“Songs of America” shows the two on stage, in the studio and on a concert tour across a turbulent country. Their ambitious Bridge Over Troubled Water album had yet to be released and the glorious title song was heard here by the general public for the very first time. The program showed news clips of labor leader/activist Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers, the Poor People’s Campaign’s march on Washington, the assassinations of Martin Luther King, JFK and Robert Kennedy and other events that were emblematic of the era. “Songs of America” was originally sponsored by the Bell Telephone Company, but the execs there got cold feet when they saw what they’d paid for—legend has it that they looked at the footage of JFK, RFK and MLK during the (powerful!) “Bridge Over Troubled Water” segment (approx 12 minutes in) and asked for more Republicans! (Not assassinated Republicans, just more Republicans...you know, for balance!) The special was eventually picked up by CBS.

Reggie nominates Moose to run against him for class president, thinking it will be no contest. Meanwhile, Sabrina can't seem to make any friends when she begins school at Riverdale.

Pickwick is a British television musical made by the BBC in 1969 and based on the 1963 stage musical Pickwick, which in turn was based on the 1837 novel The Pickwick Papers written by Charles Dickens. It stars Harry Secombe as Samuel Pickwick and Roy Castle as Sam Weller. This television production was based on the stage musical Pickwick which had been a commercial success. It was adapted for the screen by James Gilbert and Jimmy Grafton. The musical had premiered in the West End in 1963, again with Harry Secombe in the lead role. Running at 90 minutes and made in colour, the TV musical again had lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and a score by Cyril Ornadel. The book was by Wolf Mankowitz and it was directed by Terry Hughes. The programme was first transmitted on 11 June 1969 and again on 26 December 1969. One of the better known songs from the score is "If I Ruled the World". The cast of this production differed somewhat from that of the stage musical.

The Eurovision Song Contest 1969 was the 14th edition of the annual Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Madrid, Spain. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcaster Televisión Española (TVE), the contest was held at the Teatro Real on Saturday 29 March 1969 and was hosted by Spanish television presenter and actress Laurita Valenzuela.

Supershow was intended to be Britain's first music 'super session', with several famous blues, jazz and rock artists of the time coming together to be filmed whilst performing.

From Nashville With Music is another slim plot that gives an excuse for Nashville country stars to perform. The stars are Leo G. Carroll, Marilyn Maxwell, Jose Gonzalez-Gonzalez, Marty Robbins (singing "El Paso"), Buddy Allen, Bill Anderson, Don Gibson, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Cousin Jody, Buck Owens, Bonnie Owens, Charley Pride, Susan Raye, Carl Smith, Wynn Stewart and Tammy Wynette. (from http://archive.tennessean.com/article/20070511/SPECIAL0907/705110501/1969-Movie-From-Nashville-Music)

Debbie Reynolds and hundreds of children, from toddlers to teens, star in a musical salute to the days of the week. They sing rhymes for each day, and note the special qualities attributed to children born on that day.

Over two dozen top-name acts make this 'audio/visual rock thing' come to life in a rock and roll journey that moves all over, from Katmandu to London's Royal Albert Hall; an in-depth, backstage interview with The Rolling Stones' leader Mick Jagger, Plus Jimi Hendrix, Otis Redding, Joe Cocker and many others, along with other features including a Twiggy fashion show.

Mitzi Gaynor opens her second special with a dazzling performance of "Let Go." Additional songs include "Poor Papa," and "What'll I Do." She welcomes guest star Ross Martin (The Wild, Wild, West) for a musical-comedy spoof of Gone with the Wind. Other comedy skits include Mitzi as "The Kid" describing a school recital, and as a Hungarian Gypsy performing "Those Were the Days."

Running away from his evil guardian Mombi, Tip runs off to the Emerald City, where he gets caught up in a palace coup with the Army of Revolt.

Short Polish dance film

This creative educational film by Pieter Van Deusen features a variety of string instruments performed by noted musicians such as Shamim Ahmed Kahn. This film was part of a music film series for Churchill Films: Wind Sounds, Percussion Sounds, and an offshoot film by Pieter with Les Blank entitled Christopher Tree.

Studio tape of special imagery in the form of a giant translucent balls swinging in pendulous motion, with electronic synthesizer music played by Terry Riley.

This creative educational film by Pieter Van Deusen features a variety of wind instruments performed by noted musicians Eli Hollander & Tony Plog. The film crew included Les Blank as 2nd Camera along with assistant Skip Gerson. This film was part of a music film series for Churchill Films: WIND SOUNDS, Percussion Sounds, and an offshoot film by Pieter with Les Blank entitled Christopher Tree.

This creative educational film by Pieter Van Deusen features a variety of percussion instruments performed by noted musicians Bruno Hoffmann, Eric Remsen, and Taranath Rao. The film crew included Les Blank and Skip Gerson. This film was part of a music film series for Churchill Films: Wind Sounds, Percussion Sounds, and an offshoot film by Pieter with Les Blank entitled Christopher Tree.

A television special starring the vocal group The Temptations.

Shot as a proposed short film behind Iggy Pop's Ann Arbor, MI estate and summarily rejected by Elektra Records as promotional material for Nico's 1968 album, The Marble Index, Evening of Light is a gothic fantasy in a barren cornfield. Nico's song of the same name accompanies the eerie visuals.

A musical comedy, shot on location in the Sussex village of Lurgashall, during August 1969.

The Beach Boys live at the L’Olympia Bruno Coquatrix in Paris, France during their “20/20” tour on June 16, 1969.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience played at London's Royal Albert Hall, an event which was filmed for a feature length movie "Experience." The movie itself was only ever screened once in public to a small audience in Berkley University, and has since vanished.

This 1969 BBC production is about as close as we can get to a definitive version of Benjamin Britten's PETER GRIMES, one of the greatest 20th Century operas. The story of the individualistic fisherman hounded by his neighbors who believe he murdered his young apprentice packs tremendous emotional power. The compelling narrative is richly enhanced by its subtexts: the lone outsider versus the conformist mob; the dreamer of improbable dreams that lead to tragedy; the artist (dreamer) versus the Philistines, and the homosexual overtones of Grimes' abuse of his child apprentices. Britten is conductor of his work and tenor Peter Pears is Grimes, 25 years after he created the title role at the opera's premiere. As the widow Ellen Orford, soprano Heather Harper is magnificent. Best of all, the sea is an ever-present actor here. When we don't see it in the background it exerts its presence in the abundant visual references to nets, barrels, and other paraphernalia of a seaside fishing village.

An alien decides to visit Earth in order to check out the current pop culture.

Opera by Harry Somers portraying Metis leader Louis Riel and his Northwest Rebellion.

This short film follows Country Joe and the Fish on their way to an anti-Vietnam War rally.

There has never been a concert like it. There never could be again. It was July 5th 1969, two days after the death of guitarist Brian Jones, when half a million people gathered in Hyde Park to pay homage to the British group described as the greatest rock'n'roll band in the world. They were The Rolling Stones. The Stones in the Park is a vivid record of this momentous occasion. .. Play List: 1. Midnight Rambler 2. Satisfaction 3. I'm Free 4. I'm Yours She's Mine 5. Jumping Jack Flash 6. Honky Tonk Woman 7. Love In Vain 8. Sympathy For The Devil